


The Great Duel of Berlin

by GrrHatLet



Series: Dumbledore Drabbles [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bars and Pubs, Deutsch | German, Duelling, Durmstrang, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8059699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrrHatLet/pseuds/GrrHatLet
Summary: Albus and Elphias and a charming pub.





	

“Oh, isn’t this pub _lovely_ , Albus?” Elphias gushed over his Butterbeer. “I thought Berlin would be an excellent stop on the way to the Baltic!”

“A fine choice you made, my friend.” Albus smiled, lifting mead to his lips, examining the crowd chatting about themselves. It certainly was a lively place—particularly due to the rowdier patrons in the corner.

A gaggle of boys were seated around a booth, wearing black fur coats. Some with matching hats atop their heads. They were all grinning at some joke or another, and occasionally one would guffaw and slam his hand upon the table. This earned a stiff glare from other patrons, but not a one of them seemed to mind.

Elphias followed his gaze over his shoulder. “Are they even old enough to be in here?”

“More than likely not.” Albus turned to his friend. “Durmstrang students are renowned for their…questionable tendencies. Some even go as far to say it’s a whole school comprised of Slytherin House.”

Elphias cringed. “I’m not sure I want to imagine that.” He rose. “Another mead? I’m about to get one myself.”

Albus nodded. “Certainly, thank you.”

“Back a moment!” He turned…then sheepishly glanced back. “Er, to order I say…?”

“ _Zwei mehr, bitte.”_ Albus smiled patiently. “She’ll get the point.”

“Right! Back a moment!” Elphias strode off toward the bar without a care in the world.

Unfortunately his timing was rather…unfortunate.

Whilst young Mr. Doge strode up, another young man was already waiting at the counter. One with a long fur coat. A hat tucked under his arm. Elphias was so busy marveling at the charm of the humble tavern, he failed to take heed of where he was going. This devastatingly resulted in backing—or rather, fronting—into a very large, very broad…very displeased native.

Elphias’ head jerked up.

A foul glower was there waiting for him. Extremely tall, wide-shouldered, and just a bit too wolfish in the eyes, Elphias once again found himself wondering the age of these outlandish Durmstrang students.

“Er…hello.”

A deepening scowl was his only response.

Elphias backed away. “I was just…er…”

The boy took a step in turn. Forward.

“…well it really doesn’t matter now.” he insisted, whirling around to-

Land face-first on the cold, unforgiving floor. Deafeningly.

Laughter erupted from one corner of the room, and Elphias felt his face grow hot. His shoes had been victims of a Stickfast Hex—without his notice at all. No doubt some of the locals had turned to stare, and it was highly untrue to say nothing had been hurt from the fall: his pride certainly received a good bruising. The spell was removed, and he shakily moved to get up-

But the larger wizard did it for him.

Elphias swallowed as he found himself face-to-face with a leer.

_“Hast du deine Mutti verloren, du Waschlappen?”_

Sweat began to coat his brow. _Of all the languages you brush up on, one of them couldn’t be German, could it?! Had to trust Albus would pick up the slack, didn’t you?!_

Daring to look, Elphias saw his companions were all watching, most with a gleeful spark. Some doled out encouragements or suggestions in their native tongues. The rest of the pub—which had been staring wordlessly—either turned away in discomfort or discreetly slipped out.

One in particular had certainly seen enough.

_“Lassen Sie ihn runter.”_

Elphias gratefully turned around—as much as he could—when the distracted barbarian let him to the floor, hand remaining fast on his collar.

Albus held his wand aloft. _“Wir wollten gerade gehen."_

The Durmstrang lad scoffed and brandished a wand of his own, pinning Elphias to the counter with his free hand.

Albus didn’t blink.

Another scoff arose, but not from Elphias’ captor. The next instant, he found himself ripped from those fingers, flailing as he dangled haphazardly from the ceiling.

“ALBUS!”

The accountable wizard held his wand aloft from his seat in the booth. The others—even the one who had him first—joined in spiteful laughter.

One student with curly blonde hair looked on rather indifferently, as though simply waiting for this to be over.

Albus would alleviate him soon.

_“Melofors,”_

Instantly the boisterous young man became silent.

He pawed his face, finding a pumpkin where his head was meant to be.

Elphias gave a cry as he dropped, but luckily a Cushioning charm was waiting for him. Albus helped his friend up, keeping his wand at the ready.

For a few moments the others just watched their associate in silence… Then one threw his head back, laughing, while the one who caused all this rounded on Albus. Hostile, but almost impressed.

His wand stabbed the air: _“Pullus!”_

Albus was quick: _“Protego!”_

The jinx bounded off his shield, and ricocheted back to an unwary caster. A great light filled the bar, but only a moment; when it had died down, there standing in front of the red-haired wizard was a confused-looking chicken.

Sniffing endangerment to their pride, his brother in arms was quick to take his place. He barely stood before shouting: _“Conjunc—“_

 _“Obscuro!”_ A blindfold wound itself around the frantic wizard’s eyes, causing his spell to shoot uselessly into the ceiling.

_“Ebublio,”_

No sooner had he ripped it off, to find himself trapped within a comically-large—and nay indestructible—bubble.

There were two young men left. One of whom remained seated with a slightly intrigued look on his face. The other was standing a bit warily. Albus thought, in light of the spectacle, there would be some common sense thriving in that-

He lifted his wand.

Albus sighed. _“Flipendo,”_

The young man went soaring all the way to the end of the room. When no other opponents stepped forward, Albus lowered his wand.

 _“Mein Freund und ich werden jetzt gehen.”_ He said, breaking no room for argument. He and Elphias turned to make for the door.

A seat behind them stirred.

Albus sighed and faced the wizard who wished to humiliate himself—thinking, that if this were to turn into a contest of some kind, he would have to find a way to Apparate them out.

The one who rose was the only young man who hadn’t taken part in the unwanted ambush. He smiled at him, almost genially.

“You two are not from these parts, are you?” He had an obvious, though not intrusive, German accent. “No one has seen you here before.”

“Our time and business has been indulged much more than it needs to be.” Albus promptly gave. “Thanks to the uninterrupted rudeness of your companions, my friend and I have been made very late for a prior engagement.”

The wizard smiled, almost convincingly; to any average person, perhaps, it would be easy to miss, but to a mind like his… Albus shook his head, Merlin condemn his damnable pride.

“I apologize for their bad manners; no one has ever made them behave themselves before.”

“I’m sure they haven’t.” Albus responded shortly. “Now then, we would like to be off.”

“What school do you hail from? You’re certainly very good to have defeated them without use of the Dark Arts.”

“You have pilfered enough of our time, as I have said.” He told him rather brusquely. “Now, either you engage me in a duel of some sort or permit my friend and I to leave in peace.”

The boy cupped his chin. “Very well.”

Albus turned-

“A duel it is, then.”

Albus’ wand faced the young man before he did, rounding back to see an expression of pleasant surprise. “What was that?”

“A duel.” The boy repeated. “If I win, you must tell whatever there is to know about you. If you win, you and your friend will go without harm.”

Albus sighed, rolling his eyes. “Must-“

_“REDACTUM SKULLUS!”_

Albus was quick to dodge, but that head-shrinking hex came just a breath away from his ear. Wasting no time, he countered with a fast:

_“Incarcerous!”_

The boy, to his credit, parried excellently. As if instinct itself goaded him to dodge the spell (ensnaring his pumpkin-headed companion), and retaliate with a Knee-Reversal Hex.

Albus conjured a red shield that absorbed the damage, then cried: _“Stupefy!”_

_“Ennervate!”_

He certainly didn’t play games, he would give him that; Albus performed a quick _Protego Horriblis_ (just to be safe).

His opponent gifted him with a strong, _“Deprimo!”_

Wind whipped around the tavern as witches and wizards cried in alarm. Albus held fast to the bar counter and, squinting, aimed a sharp:

_“Locomotor Mortis!”_

The boy ducked out of the way, his intended spell charring a section of the wall behind him.

_“Relashio!”_

Albus kept a tight grip on his wand and Summoned a nearby stool to take the hit. To make matters easier he cast a strong _Meteleojinx Recanto_ to choke the wind. Once that was done…

_“Reducto!”_

_“Protego!”_

Dodging just in time, Albus yelled, _“Entomorphis!”_

The boy laughed as he deflected the hex which would have turned any lesser wizard into an insect. “Do not insult us both by holding back! _Duel!_ ”

So Albus did.

Raising his wand high, every empty seat rose together in the air. Quick as a whip, he stabbed his wand at his raring opponent, and they each barreled toward a newfound target.

Taking just enough time to grow surprised, the boy Summoned eight tables to take the blow. Wood slammed against wood, sending legs, screws, and wayward splinters flying in every direction. Remaining onlookers ducked airborne debris.

The next minute Albus felt the bar growing warmer…hotter…in no time at all he deduced the boy had cast a Hot-Air Charm. But why on earth would-

_“Aguamenti!”_

Albus cursed as the entire tavern grew heavy with thick, impenetrable mist. Casting a Supersensory charm he kept his ears sharp for any noteworthy movement. Patrons all around were scuttling in confusion, and once or twice Elphias was heard stumbling about…

Someone was creeping up behind him.

No time to dwell on it now.

Albus whirled around. _“Fulgari!”_

The boy ducked and it landed on an unfortunate—incapacitated—man. He then wasted no time in sending a Jelly-Brain Jinx, which was dodged narrowly. Thinking it wise to be rid of the fog, Albus blasted every window open through sheer force of magic, and the irksome precipitation was no more.

The boy stood right across from him, amazed (his breath, if one paid close attention, was slightly labored).

Albus, regrettably, couldn’t deny he too found himself caught off-guard…

Elphias wore a look of utter shock on his face, and a few of the nameless boy’s companions were leaning forward with similar expressions. But the duel was far from over…

“You fight well,” he panted, the pair of them circling each other.

Albus held his wand aloft. “I made a bargain, I aim to keep it.”

Here he grinned. “Good—because there is no chance of forfeiting now.” Immediately he mouthed the incantation for a Multi-Shot Jinx.

Albus was quicker, _“Tempest!”_

Lightning bolts attacked the boy’s feet, but despite his scrambling, he managed to slice the air with his wand, and braid them all into an electrifying net which came soaring in his direction. Albus was forced to _Finite_ the spell and return fire. Literally.

A wall of flames encircled the boy, and to everyone’s great shock, became concentrated into a drill-like point above his head, then sent back to the wizard who bestowed it. Albus conjured a watery shield just in time as a great hiss absorbed the blast.

A curtain rod was torn from the wall and sent at the blonde adversary like an angry lance. With a few swipes of a wand, it clattered to pieces on the floor.

Albus animated a fallen stool that doubled— _tripled_ in size, before charging for him on three deafening legs. The boy thrust his wand out and the immediate threat was turned to stone—soon crashing down moments later.

Albus Conjured several fearsome birds to dive at his opponent. Rather than Summon more chairs, the boy took a more direct approach and shot several fireballs at them. The creatures squawked and flapped in alarm before fleeing through a window.

Albus saw an opening and cast a spell at his adversary’s feet. The floorboards gave and splintered underneath him, causing the young man to throw his arms out and keep a foothold. Seizing this chance, Albus cast.

_“Expelliarmus!”_

The boy jabbed his wand out immediately: _“Alarte Ascendare!”_

Both spells shot through the air, only to meet dead-on. The resulting impact produced a quake-like blast, which blinded the entire tavern. Albus was thrown back against an overturned table. He shielded his eyes until the light finally cleared. When he looked, he found the boy shaking himself awake against the wall of the bar.

They stared at each other. Open-mouthed.

_BANG!_

_“Was soll dieses Getöse?! Was macht ihr Idioten da draußen? Seht euch dieses Chaos an! Raus aus meiner Kneipe! Jetzt, SOFORT!”_

Elphias jumped as a woman emerged behind the bar. Her face was livid and sparks emanated from her wand. Even without Albus’ interpretation, the message was clear: get out. His friend all but shoveled him out of there as they ran into the night.

When they decided they’d gone far enough, they eyed the street for the boy or his classmates. No sign of them.

Giving twin sighs of relief, Elphias asked first: “Are you alright?”

Albus chuckled breathily. “It would be appreciated if that didn’t happen in every pub we frequent.”

“But that was  _amazing!”_ Elphias exclaimed. “You’ve been in duels before but nothing like this! Never-”

Albus simply stared at a nearby building.

Elphias fidgeted. “Well, enough pleasantries. I passed a bakery today and there’s quite a feast waiting for us back at the inn.”

Albus smiled and let his friend lead the way.

A hand clasped his mouth the instant Elphias turned around. Just as discreet, a second clenched his left elbow and dragged him into the alley.

Now genuinely angry, Albus had violent red sparks issuing from his wand by the time his captor released him.  _“WER ZUM TEUFEL-?!”_

The boy smiled an arm’s length from him. “Your _Deutsch_ is very good. Did you learn on your own, or with help?”

Albus glared with exhaustion. “I believe you promised my friend and I would leave undisturbed.”

“No, your friend and yourself would leave if you won the duel. _No one_ won the duel—so it is only fair we _both_ tell a little about ourselves.” He grinned.

Albus’ gaze wondered to a corner across the street. “What about _your_ friends?”

Following his stare, he saw the same spectacle the other wizard did. A group of boys chatting amicably—as any could in their predicaments—with a pumpkin-headed lad holding a chicken under his arm. The boy who’d been trapped in the bubbled pointed with a comment of some sort, provoking the fellows to laugh. The blonde across from him flicked his wand, and the two fellows were right as rain. “We will meet later.”

Albus glanced the way Elphias left. “He will be wondering where I’ve gone. Quite likely suspect a gang-retaliation.”

Gellert didn’t look convinced. “You have already proven yourself dangerous to anyone who confronts you—none of them will bother you or yours again.” He looked at the taller wizard expectantly…

…Albus begrudgingly offered his hand. “Albus Dumbledore.”

He grabbed it with an audible clap. “Gellert. Gellert Grindelwald.”

Resenting the pleasure that surfaced at finally giving this memorable wizard a name, Albus glanced off again. “I must go soon. We leave for the Baltic in the morning.”

The b—Gellert lilted his head. “You’re leaving?”

“We’ve been in Berlin four days now. There’s still quite a lot of Europe to cover.”

His only response was silence.

Albus searched for Elphias’ wiry figure in the dark. “I’m very sorry, but—“ He briskly walked into the empty street.

“What was your name?!” The thick accent called after him.

“Albus! Albus Dumbledore!” He called without looking back.

In seconds, something flapped into his line of vision. Caught mid-run, he had no choice but to stop. Looking directly he saw it was a restless paper bird, hovering in arm’s reach. Arching a brow, Albus plucked the thing from the air and unfolded its contents.

_Bis bald, Albus Dumbledore._

He turned to see a mischievous smile waiting for him, before its owner calmly walked off into the city.

Albus tucked the note into his pocket and luckily managed to find Elphias. He didn’t mention a word to him the entire journey back.

**Author's Note:**

>  _“Hast du deine Mutti verloren, du Waschlappen?”_ (“Lose your mommy, skinny?”)
> 
>  _“Lassen Sie ihn runter.”_ (“Put him down.”) 
> 
> _“Wir wollten gerade gehen."_ (“We were just leaving.”)
> 
>  _“Mein Freund und ich werden jetzt gehen.”_ (“My friend and I will be going now.”)
> 
>  _“Was soll dieses Getöse?! Was macht ihr Idioten da draußen? Seht euch dieses Chaos an! Raus aus meiner Kneipe! Jetzt, SOFORT!”_ (“What’s all this racket?! What’re you idiots doing out here?! Look at this mess! Get out of my tavern, now! Right NOW!”)
> 
>  _“WER ZUM TEUFEL-?!”_ (“WHO THE DEVIL-?!”)


End file.
